


Nikolai Budnikov calls Luc Chantal his dad, chirps his accent and his cooking:  READ MORE

by Superstition_hockey



Series: Depth on the Bench [10]
Category: Original Hockey Work, Original Work
Genre: Sports press, Translations of translations of translation, alternative format
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-11
Updated: 2017-06-11
Packaged: 2018-11-12 16:45:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11165934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Superstition_hockey/pseuds/Superstition_hockey
Summary: "Budnikov was recently interviewed by Russian sports journal Sport-Express, and talks more in depth about how his life in Quebec City, the NHL, and his captain. Here at CDPC, we’ve translated a few of the best parts for our readers:"





	Nikolai Budnikov calls Luc Chantal his dad, chirps his accent and his cooking:  READ MORE

**Author's Note:**

> Just a tiny ficlet I've been kicking around that I thought I'd post while I chip away at writing bigger stuff. It's formatted like a Russian article translated partially and posted to a Nordiques sports blog, a la some of the RMNB posts of Russian articles about Ovi or Kuzy. The fictional Nordiques blog is called Cent Dix Pour Cent

Many times when NHL teams draft Russian rookies, they make sure their team has an veteran Russian player to help with language and culture shock.  The Nordiques made it clear from the beginning that they were drafting Luc Chantal with a lot of leadership expectations in the team.  It seems they also expected him to be able to mentor their Russian draft pick, Nikolai Budnikov, an expectation he met with perhaps surprising success.  Budnikov has said multiple times in interviews that he is adapting well to North American hockey and the NHL, and credits his easy transition to his captain.  

Budnikov was recently interviewed by Russian sports journal Sport-Express, and talks more in depth about his life in Quebec City, the NHL, and his captain. Here at CDPC, we’ve translated a few of the best parts for our readers:

 

 

V:  So, now let’s talk about playing in the NHL. How are you liking it? Was it a big transition, coming from Moscow Dynamo?

B:  Yes, it was a very big transition. Of course there is the transition of playing North American hockey, it’s very different.

V:  The size of the ice?

B:  Yes that, and also the style of the play. But I am a little lucky there too, I think.  The Nordiques play a fast, skilled game, it’s not such a big difference from Russian hockey.  Still, I couldn’t believe it the first time I saw a player dump the puck at a zone entry and the coach didn’t yell at him!  

V:  Was it a big transition, having a coach that is a woman?

B:  No, not at all. I was surprised, at first, but she is very knowledgeable, and very skilled.  Her record at the Olympics is impressive.  She’s a good coach and doesn’t have any problems leading the team.

V:  There was a bit of drama over that, wasn’t there, late in the season.  

B:  Yes. The media strike. But it was very good.  It was good for the team to show that they are unified and supportive of their leadership.  And also the media had been very constant about her, always doubting, always trying to insinuate that there was division in the locker room where there wasn’t any. It was very frustrating for us, to constantly have people trying to spread doubt.  It was good to take a stand and let people know that we were playing together.

V:  How did you find the rest of it? Do you think it was harder, moving to someplace like Quebec City instead of someplace that is English speaking? Are you learning both languages, or just one or the other?

B:  *laughing* Yes, it was very hard!  I’m trying to learn to both, but that makes it harder I think, trying to learn them at the same time.  In the locker room and on the ice we use English most of the time, so I have to learn English to play hockey here, but it’s a French speaking city – I need French if I want to get around in it. But Chants [Luc Chantal, Captain of the Nordiques] has been a very good mentor. When I arrived in Quebec City he had stickers up on every object in the house with the French and English word for it!

V:  It sounds like you are lucky, and he has been helping you a lot.

B:  Yes, very much.  He had learned a little Russian too. His accent is so terrible, but he learned the words he thought would be the most useful on the ice for practices, like shoot, and “on the boards” and “pass”, left and right, things like that.  He was very practical.  

V:  What else did he do to make the transition easier?  

B:  More I think that most.  He had a Russian roommate before in California, Artem Mikhailov, that he is good friends with. I think they spoke together about what would be most helpful.  He had a cache of frozen Russian food that he would make when I was homesick. He opened the house to visits from my friends and family at any time, encouraged me to have a friend stay often so that I have more contact and don’t get as homesick.  He organized lots of game nights and dinners for the other rookies to make sure I was integrating well into the team.  He was a little like a father, a little like an older brother, and a good friend.  A very good mentor for me.  He even bought a samovar and sometimes makes tea the Russian way.  

V:  He makes tea in a samovar?!  

B: *laughing* not always, but sometimes, yes.  It helps that he is dating [Ukrainian model] Svetlana Volkov. With her the Russian speakers outnumber the French in the house!

V:  You said Chantal sometimes makes Russian food.  Have you been exploring any French Canadian cuisine?  What is your favorite?

B:  Most of the food Chants cooks at home is very healthy stuff, all off the nutritionist’s menu, baked chicken or salmon, whole grains. It’s very boring! So much kale. But for the Christmas season his grandmother made tourtière – it’s a sort of meat pie with pork. It’s very good.  And of course, everyone had to try poutine when we got there.  All the rookies go out together and get some, some times. It’s very good. It’s a dish of fries with gravy and cheese on top.

V:  Not on the meal plan I take it?

B:  Hahah, only during playoffs.  The team management also took us out to a Sugar Shack. It’s a thing in Canada with the maple syrup. They pour the syrup into the snow and it freezes into candy.  Then there is a restaurant at the same location where maple syrup is used in many dishes.  It was very good. It was probably boring for the Canadian players, but it was fun for the rest of us!  

V:  Do you speak Russian at home? You mentioned that Chantal was learning a little.

B:  His Russian is not great, but he knows more words than you’d think.  I don’t know what we speak in the house. I don’t know what you would call it.  It’s Russian and French and English all jumbled up, whatever word we can think of, or that we know the other one knows.  Sometimes I won’t know an English word when Chants tells me something, so he’ll say it in French and then Russian.  Sometimes my brain gets all mixed, trying to learn French and English at the same time and I mix them together.  We fill in the gaps.  Chants calls it Russécois. Like the word for Canadian French, Quebécois.  

V:  Now of course, we’ve heard the trade news that the Nordiques have acquired Chantal’s longtime friend, Oliver Jackson.

B:  Yes, I’m very excited to get to a play with such a talented center.

V:  We’ve heard that the two are very close.  Do you think you’ll have another housemate?

B:  I don’t doubt it!  They are the best friends, like brothers.  They’re friendship goes back such a long ways, since they were young children.  

V:  That will be a full house then. What’s it like living in the house with someone as beautiful as Svetlana Volkov?  That must be lucky for you, I’m sure she has beautiful friends.  

B:  Haha, yes.  At first we didn’t get along very well.  We got off on a bad foot.  But now we’re friends, and it’s good because she does know many people in Quebec City that are Russian speaking that she introduced to me. It helped a lot.  

V:  So are you single then or are you also dating a beautiful model?  

B:  Hahaha, no, I’m single. I’m still very young! And hockey takes a lot of time. I just want to concentrate on improving my hockey game, and also have fun!

 

tags:   Nikolai Budnikov   Luc Chantal  

 

 

 

 

 

 _Dude_ Luc texts to Buddy after Holly sends him the link to the Cent Dix Pour Cent article along with five laughing emojis and PAPA in all caps and some more laughing/crying faces.   _Dude. That article doesn't even sound like you at all_

 _yes_ Buddy texts back.   _They leave out all the parts where I make fun of you  talk about how terrible your wrist shot is_

Luc texts back an eggplant emoji, rolls over and then a  _hows my house doing asshole, still intact?_

_Yes all fine. I buy Yasha a goat. Okay?_

Luc's... relatively sure Buddy's joking. Right? Yasha wouldn't actually buy a goat, right? 

"Chants" Luc hears Jacks shout from the hotel patio door, "come on, we've got that snorkeling thing in 10 minutes."

Luc rolls out of the hammock, kisses Jacks on the cheek.  "Snorkeling??? Dude. Will there be badass fish?"

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> come find me at superstitionhockey on tumblr


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